1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement on a camera of the kind arranged to be set in an inoperative state in which no external input is accepted in cases where a lens shifting member, a shutter operating member or the like fails to normally operate after a release signal is generated.
2. Description of the Related Art
The camera of this kind is arranged to have a lens barrel, a shutter operating member, etc. immediately cancelled from a mechanically locked state and allowed to begin to operate when a release signal is generated in response to a release operation. However, in cases where the lens barrel or the shutter operating member is found to be not normally operating due to some mechanical disorder, the conventional camera is immediately brought into an inoperative state in which no external input is accepted. This arrangement is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. SHO 62-270933, etc.
However, the conventional arrangement to immediately render the camera inoperative when the lens barrel or the shutter operating member fails to normally operate, for example, due to a fault of a plunger or the like even when the release operation is performed just once, presents the following problem: The camera would be set too often into the inoperative state. Then, to cancel this state, the battery of the camera must be taken out and again loaded each time. In a case where the camera has long been left unused in particular, such members often come to normally operate when the release operation is repeated after they have first failed to normally respond to the release operation. Therefore, the conventional arrangement has not been practical.